Case Studies

Elevator System Contamination

W&A was retained to evaluate the scope of damage, recovery efforts, and repair costs for elevator systems reported as damaged by water. A leak occurred in a domestic high-pressure water line when a coupling located on the building's 15th floor separated, allowing water to spew from a 6-inch diameter pipe. Thousands of gallons of water leaked from the pipe into the elevator hoistways and wetted the wire hoist ropes, safety systems, rails, door-closure mechanisms, and other elevator components, as well as the cars parked at lobby level. Thirty-one elevator systems were affected.

The elevator repair contractor's original quote totaled $6.2 million for repairs to restore the elevator equipment. Of this amount, approximately $3.2 million was associated with rope replacement. We arranged for certified inspectors to evaluate each wire rope for dimensional conformity and to verify evidence of corrosion or rouging. Based on this evaluation, as well as our coordination with wire rope manufacturers, we determined that it was not necessary to replace the ropes on all elevators, contrary to the elevator repair contractor's assessment. The contractor agreed to remove this scope of work from their proposal. The contractor also reinstated their maintenance service agreement on this equipment, which they had threatened to void due to the incident. The final repair costs totaled $2,417,873, which resulted in a cost savings for our client of nearly $3.8 million.